IQF Freezing - Fruits and Berries

OctoFrost's Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) technology is one of the most advanced in the food processing industry, able of preserving the natural color, flavor, and shape of the fruits and berries.

This process is designed to stop the activity of the microorganisms that are responsible for the enzymatic browning and deterioration of products. The unique aerodynamics of the OctoFrost tunnel freezer ensures that dehydration doesn’t occur, which translates into more nutritious and appealing products.

The vast majority of fruits and berries can be frozen IQF, therefore the OctoFrostTM IQF tunnel freezer can be used for a wide range of products such as: strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, sour cherries, Mirabelle, apple dices, peaches, and many more.

How the OctoFrostTM handles IQF fruit and berries

One of the most challenging aspects when freezing fruits and berries is maintaining their separation and keeping their natural texture, taste, and smell. Some fruit are extremely sticky because of their naturally high sugar content, and tend to easily stick together, forming lumps or blocks.

The benefits of the OctoFrostTM IQF tunnel freezer is that it can create up to five freezing zones that quickly freeze the surface of the product, in order to avoid dehydration and lump formation. The aerodynamics and movement of the bedplates ensure that there will be no marks on the surface of the product, nor damage on the product corners. Depending on the ripeness of the fruit, the additional features such as bed vibrator, pulsator, or the wave plate will separate the products with no effort, creating a perfect output and keeping the fruits' delicate natural color and shape.

Delicate berries are sensitive to mechanical impact and must be handled with care, in order to avoid marks or damage. Some soft berries, such as raspberries, are extremely sensitive in a frozen state, but OctoFrostTM shows very good results thanks to the adjustable fans’ speeds and the multiple freezing zones. The optimal aerodynamics in each zone and the gentle bedplate movements separate the products with a minimum of fines and crumbles.

OctoFrost’s IQF Freezing technology focuses on delivering high-quality IQF berries and fruits, with each stage of the freezing process being carefully monitored, using this advanced equipment. The OctoFrostTM focuses on four main benefits: reliable food safety, ensuring the natural appearance of fruit, maintaining a high yield, and ensuring energy efficiency.

Furthermore, because of the technological innovations of having the exchangeable bedplates, different batches of fruit and berries can be frozen without long down-time, by just quickly changing to a new set of bedplates. Food safety is the number one priority and, due to these detachable plates, the OctoFrostTM bedplates are easy to clean outside the freezer and help avoid cross-contamination.

The OctoFrostTM is also energy efficient, thanks to its adjustable fans’ speed, which allow processors to gain the full control over the airflow power and by extension over energy consumption. Moreover, the low dehydration helps increase yield in production. The Individual Quick Freezing solution from OctoFrost for fruits and berries, helps processors sell their products at a premium price.

The benefits of the OctoFrostTM for IQF fruit and berries

By investing in a technologically innovative OctoFrostTM IQF tunnel freezer for IQF fruit and berries, you will obtain the following benefits:

1. Natural appearance - the optimal airflow and moving bedplates of the OctoFrostTM ensure a good separation even with delicate products, in all stages of the freezing process; dehydration is minimal, and the frozen end-result is a premium product with a natural appearance;

2. High yield - the complex air flows and pressure ratios have been combined in order to reduce product dehydration and prevent snow formation in the freezer; lower dehydration means higher yield;

3. Reliable food safety - OctoFrostTM is designed in an easy accessible hermetic unit with rounded corners and sloping surfaces; the bedplates are removable for easy cleaning, minimizing the risk for cross-contamination between products; in combination with an effective Clean in Place (CIP) system, OctoFrostTM provides reliable food safety;

4. Energy efficiency - with frequency convertors on each energy efficient axial vane fan, the total energy savings are substantial; moreover, this setup requires less refrigeration in order to cool down the fans; the total energy saving is up to 20 - 30%.

Benefits

The frozen products preserve its natural shape, smell, color and volume, for a Natural Appearance.

Premium product appearance and low dehydration contribute to High Yield.